How to Write Recruitment Emails that Candidates Want to Read

In our age of digital recruitment tools and instant-results referral programs, it’s easy to forget that the entire recruitment process relies on one oft-overlooked element: Your initial recruiting email!

As many marketers can attest, it’s not easy to get strangers to open your emails. And while the idea of an enticing new job opportunity may be enough to get prospects reading, the top industry candidates will likely have plenty of offers on the table—some of which may be better than yours. If you want to win these candidates over, you’ll have to stand out from your very first message.

1. Start with research

Research on your candidate of choice is an essential first step of the recruitment process. Recruiters need to know as many personal details about their prospect as they can to understand how to personalize the message to pique his/her interest. Fortunately, the wealth of social media data and online tools at our disposal makes this part of the process easier than it’s ever been. Gather whatever information you can to prepare for the next steps.

2. Make it personal

Nothing will turn a candidate off faster than a broad, generalized recruitment email that reads more like spam than an actual job offer. This is where your candidate research comes into play. Include several key data points in your initial email that proves to the candidate that you’re sincerely interested in the unique contributions that he/she has to offer.

Speak to the candidate’s experience and the current role he/she currently has. Ask candidates how they feel about their position and whether they’d be open to exploring new opportunities. Highlight their strengths and don’t be afraid to flatter them a little bit, particularly if you’ve seen examples of their past projects. Candidates respond well to light compliments that are backed by sincerity and honest assessments of their abilities.

3. Find a detail sweet spot

Recruiters should provide some job details in their initial recruitment email, but be careful about overloading them with information. The cold email is still early in the recruitment process, and there’s no guarantee yet that the candidate will even be interested in the position.

Offer brief details about the job’s titles, responsibilities, and scope of work, but be vague enough that they don’t receive the full picture. Strategically excluding details will pique their curiosity and make it more likely that they’ll respond.

4. Work on your subject lines

Did you know that marketing emails related to recruitment and staffingtend to have open rates of barely over 20 percent? Much of this has to do with the subject line you choose—write a subject line that sounds too generic or too much like spam, and your candidate recruitment efforts go out the window. Test various subject lines against different candidates to see which options perform best, and make them as short and as personal as you can.

5. Find the right email software

If you’re sending recruitment emails already, chances are you’re using an email software that allows you to send en masse and automate some processes. However, if you’re not using an email software or you’re looking for alternative options to your existing software, here is a list of some great email marketing tools.

Remember to Show Your Humanity

At the end of the day, recruitment emails are just another step toward building relationships with potential employees. As such, you need to write as a human first and a recruiter second. Let your personality show through in your email by including some light small talk or joking to help build rapport. This ties back into the personalization strategies mentioned above. Go beyond the templates and show your candidates that you’ve put effort into your message, and they’ll respond in kind.

Nailing down your cold emails can be one of the most challenging aspects of recruitment. Contact Urgenci for an assessment of your business. We’ll help you craft the recruitment emails that get noticed, get opened, and get the right candidates in your corner.